The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015, are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 23, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

Eight-year-old Maddie struggles to adjust to her new life in the country with her new stepfather. It used to be that Maddie and her mom had “Perfect Days” in town—from visiting the library to eating sundaes at the diner. But now that she lives in the country with her mother’s husband, Sam, everything has changed. Not only does she have to share her mother with someone, she has to get used to living away from the fast pace of the city. Slowly, maybe too slowly for the target audience’s attention span, Maddie learns to appreciate her new life, the simple rhythm of country life, and even overcomes a few fears along the way. If adjusting to a new father were this easy, no one would worry about the effect of divorce on young children. The total absence of Maddie’s father might make it easier to adjust to Sam, but Maddie’s lack of concern for her father is odd. Meant to be comforting, this offering is more than a little saccharin and unrealistic. (Fiction. 5-9)

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